St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook
Location	Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Architect(s)	W. H. Bidlake
Years built	October 1899 – 1901
Specifications
Height	36.6 metres (120 ft)
Administration
Parish	St. Agatha, Sparkbrook and St. Barnabas, Balsall Heath
Deanery	Central Birmingham
Archdeaconry	Birmingham
Diocese	Birmingham
Province	Canterbury

The Church of St Agatha (grid reference SP086847) is a special church in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England. It is a parish church that belongs to the Church of England.

History of St Agatha's Church

This beautiful church was designed by a famous architect named W. H. Bidlake. It is now a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historical building. It is protected because of its special design and history.

Building the church began in October 1899. It was made from brick and decorated with stone. The money to build St Agatha's came from selling the land of an older church. That church, called Christ Church, was in New Street, Birmingham. It was taken down to make space for new shops and offices. The land where Christ Church stood is now part of Victoria Square.

St Agatha's Church was officially opened in 1901. The Bishop of Worcester, Charles Gore, led the opening ceremony. At that time, Birmingham was part of the Worcester church area. In 1905, Birmingham got its own church area, and Charles Gore became its first Bishop. In 1902, St Agatha's got its own parish. This meant it had its own local area to serve. Some items from the old Christ Church, like its font and a bell, were moved to St Agatha's.

Challenges and Repairs

St Agatha's Church has faced many challenges over the years. In 1940, during World War II, a German bomb hit the church. It completely destroyed the sanctuary end, which is a very important part of the church. Then, in 1957, a fire damaged the building again. The entire roof was lost. For about 20 years, parts of the church were closed off while repairs were made.

In 2005, a strong windstorm, known as the Birmingham Tornado, caused slight damage to the church. However, the school next door, Ladypool Primary School, was badly damaged.

Major repair work took place from 2002 to 2005. Much of the money for these repairs came from the National Heritage Lottery Board. This work helped make the church strong again. It included fixing the tower. The restored church was officially reopened in January 2005. Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex attended the special event.

Leaders of St Agatha's

Many priests have served St Agatha's Church over the years. Here is a list of some of the vicars and priests-in-charge:

St Agatha's as a Community Church

From the very beginning, St Agatha's has been part of the Anglo-Catholic movement. This is a special tradition within the Church of England. Even though it is in the Birmingham church area, it also gets guidance from the Bishop of Oswestry. This bishop is a Provincial episcopal visitor, who helps churches with this particular tradition. St Agatha's is also part of a group called Forward in Faith.

Years ago, there were many similar Anglo-Catholic churches in inner-city Birmingham. This area was sometimes called the 'Biretta Belt'. Many of those churches have now closed. However, St Agatha's remains open. It serves its community, even though most people in its local area are now Muslim. The priest who leads St Agatha's also serves St Barnabas' Church, Balsall Heath.

Music and Services

St Agatha's is well-known for its music. It has a large, recently repaired organ. The church also has special services and a diverse group of people who attend. Its reputation for music and worship goes beyond its local area.

One special service was the centenary Mass in May 2001. This celebrated 100 years of the church. The Archbishop of York, David Hope, was one of the special guests who led the service.

Community Facilities

The church has a hall that is used by the Birmingham City Amateur Boxing Club. This club was first known as Ladywood Amateur Boxing Club. It was started by Frank O'Sullivan.

Sources

• All About Victoria Square, Joe Holyoak, The Victorian Society Birmingham Group, ISBN: 0-901657-14-X
• St Agatha website
• British History Online: Churches built since 1800 - St Agatha, Sparkbrook, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7, 1964.